The Cabinet of Tadeusz Mazowiecki, led by Prime Minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki, came to power following the 1989 legislative election. He was nominated by the President as the Prime Minister on 24 August 1989 in order to form a new government after the Sejm rejected the Communist cabinet of Czesław Kiszczak, and subsequently obtained the mandatory motion of confidence in the Sejm on 12 September 1989. The cabinet resigned on 25 November 1990, and the Sejm accepted the resignation of the cabinet on 14 December, though it continued to perform its duties until the formation of the Cabinet of Jan Krzysztof Bielecki on 4 January 1991.
With a majority of ministers endorsed by the Solidarity trade union, it was the first government in Poland and anywhere in Eastern Europe since the late 1940s not to be dominated by Communists and fellow travelers.
Origins The Polish Round Table Agreement, signed in April 1989 between the representatives of the ruling Communist PZPR and the opposition Solidarity trade union, did not initially provide for a government led by Solidarity. Only around 35% of the Sejm would be up for free election alongside the entire Senate, giving the Communist-dominated PRON alliance a seemingly guaranteed majority to form a government.
However, in the resulting elections in June, Solidarity-backed candidates won every seat up for election in the Sejm and all but one seat in the Senate. This victory accelerated the dissolution of the Communist coalition. In a July article entitled "Your President, Our Prime Minister," leading Solidarity member Adam Michnik proposed a grand coalition between Solidarity and reformist elements in the regime, in exchange for the former's support for the election of Communist leader Wojciech Jaruzelski as President.Piotr Wróbel, Rebuilding Democracy in Poland, 1989-2004, in
Jaruzelski was elected president on 19 July, and designated Interior Minister Gen. Czesław Kiszczak to lead the government, with the intention of giving Solidarity a few token positions. However, Solidarity leader Lech Wałęsa entered into negotiations with the PZPR's longtime satellite parties, the Democratic Party and United People's Party, many of whose members were in debt to Solidarity for endorsing them in the second election round. On 17 August 1989, Wałęsa, Roman Malinowski and announced that Solidarity had formed a coalition with the ZSL and SD, commanding a majority in the Sejm. This denied Kiszczak the chance to form a government, and he resigned.
President Jaruzelski then agreed to appoint a Solidarity member as Prime Minister. Wałęsa proposed Tadeusz Mazowiecki, Bronisław Geremek and Jacek Kuroń as potential candidates, and the coalition partners agreed on the first of the three. Jaruzelski designed Mazowiecki as Prime Minister on 19 August, and the latter was elected by the Sejm on 24 August. The Cabinet was confirmed on 12 September by 402 votes in favor to none against, with 13 abstentions. It was the first government anywhere in Eastern Europe since 1948 with a non-Communist majority, and its appointment was a milestone in the Fall of Communism elsewhere in the region.
Cabinet +Cabinet membersOfficeMinisterParty at startParty at endTerm startTerm endPrime MinisterTadeusz MazowieckiIndependent (KO "S")UD24 August 19894 January 1991Deputy Prime MinisterMinister of FinanceLeszek BalcerowiczIndependent (KO "S")12 September 198912 January 1991Minister of Agriculture, Food, and EconomyCzesław JanickiZSLPSL12 September 19896 July 1990Mieczysław StelmachIndependent6 July 199014 September 1990Janusz BylińskiIndependent (KO "S")14 September 199012 January 1991Deputy Prime MinisterMinister - Head of the Office of Scientific and Technical Progress and ImplementationJan JanowskiSD12 September 198912 January 1991Minister of the InteriorCzesław KiszczakPZPRIndependent12 September 19896 July 1990Krzysztof KozłowskiIndependent (KO "S")6 July 199012 January 1991Minister of Foreign AffairsKrzysztof SkubiszewskiIndependent12 September 198912 January 1991Minister of National Defence Florian SiwickiPZPRIndependent12 September 19896 July 1990Piotr KołodziejczykIndependent 6 July 199012 January 1991Minister-Head of the Office of the Council of MinistersJacek AmbrosiakIndependent (KO "S")UD12 September 198912 January 1991Minister without portfolioArtur BalazsIndependent (KO "S")12 September 198912 January 1991Minister of JusticeAleksander BentkowskiZSLPSL12 September 198912 January 1991Minister of Culture and ArtIzabella CywińskaIndependent (KO "S")12 September 198912 January 1991Minister, member of the Cabinet (for work with political organizations and associations)Aleksander HallIndependent (KO "S")FPD12 September 198912 January 1991Minister of Environment and Natural ResourcesBronisław KamińskiZSLPSL12 September 198912 January 1991Minister of Health and Social WelfareAndrzej Kosiniak-KamyszZSLPSL12 September 198912 January 1991Minister of Communications (without portfolio to 20 December 1989)Marek KucharskiSD12 September 198914 September 1990Jerzy ŚlęzakSD14 September 199012 January 1991Minister of Labour and Social PolicyJacek KurońIndependent (KO "S")ROAD12 September 198912 January 1991Minister of Internal MarketAleksander MackiewiczSD12 September 198912 January 1991Minister-Head of the Central Planning OfficeJerzy OsiatyńskiIndependent (KO "S")ROAD12 September 198912 January 1991Minister of Planning and ConstructionAleksander PaszyńskiIndependent (KO "S")UD12 September 198912 January 1991Minister of EducationHenryk SamsonowiczIndependent (KO "S")12 September 198912 January 1991Minister of IndustryTadeusz SyryjczykIndependent (KO "S")FPD12 September 198912 January 1991Minister of Economic Cooperation with AbroadMarcin ŚwięcickiPZPRUD12 September 198912 January 1991Minister without portfolioWitold Trzeciakowski Independent (KO "S")UD12 September 198912 January 1991Minister of Transportation and Marine EconomyFranciszek WielądekPZPRSdRP12 September 19896 July 1990Ewaryst WaligórskiIndependent (KO "S")6 July 199012 January 1991Minister of PrivatizationWaldemar KuczyńskiIndependent (KO "S")12 September 198912 January 1991
Małgorzata Niezabitowska served as government spokesman.
Party breakdown At beginning Solidarity Citizens' Committee 13 United People's Party 4 Polish United Workers' Party 4 Democratic Party 3 Independent 1
At end Solidarity Citizens' Committee 8 Democratic Union 5 Polish People's Party 3 Democratic Party 3 Citizens' Movement forDemocratic Action 2 Forum of theDemocratic Right 2 Independent 2
Vote of confidence Election of Tadeusz Mazowiecki as Prime Minister of Poland Ballot → 24 August 1989 Required majority → 212 out of 423 Votes in favour Votes against Abstentions Vote of confidence in the Cabinet of Tadeusz Mazowiecki Ballot → 12 September 1989 Required majority → 208 out of 415 Votes in favour Abstentions
Changes in Composition December 20, 1989 Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry Czesław Janicki took office as minister of agriculture and food industries. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Bronisław Kamiński took office as minister of environmental protection, natural resources and forestry. Minister of Transport, shipping and communications Franciszek Wielądek took office as Minister of Transport and Maritime Affairs. Minister for the organization of the Ministry of Communications Marek Kucharski took office as minister of communications. January 1990 Transformation of the Ministry of Environment and natural resources in the department of environmental protection, natural resources and forestry. July 6, 1990 Dismissed: Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Agriculture and Food Czesław Janicki. Deputy Interior Minister Czesław Kiszczak. Defense minister Florian Siwicki. Minister of Transport and Maritime Affairs Franciszek Wielądek. Appointed: Krzysztof Kozłowski for the office of Interior Minister. Piotr Kołodziejczyk at the office of minister of national defense. Ewaryst Waligórski for the office of Minister of Transport and Maritime Affairs. July 13, 1990 Ministry of Privatization created. September 14, 1990 Dismissed: Communications Minister Marek Kucharski. Appointed: Jerzy Slezak for the office of minister of communications. Janusz Byliński for the office of minister of agriculture and food industries. Waldemar Kuczyński (Solidarity) in the office of the minister of privatization.
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